Death Valley National Park
Geology Image Gallery - Miscellany

Corkscrew Peak view

Photo by Joel I. Mur, NPS.

Desert varnish

Photo from NPS archives.

Underside of a rock with desert varnish. Microorganisms deposit thin
films of manganese compounds as part of their life
processes. These combine with clays and stain
the gravel differing shades of red and brown.
This stain is desert varnish.

Bighorn sheep petroglyph

Photo from NPS archives.

Death Valley's native peoples used rocks with dark desert varnish to carve the stories of their lives.